Body scan for concentration: 5 minutes, ahead of a full day

About this practice

A 5-minute body scan session for concentration, ahead of a full day. No app, no account — press start. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: concentration

Concentration fails for two reasons: the task is uninteresting, or the body is too activated to hold anything steady. The second one is fixable in minutes.

It tends to show up as:

• Attention sliding off within seconds
• Jumping between tabs
• Feeling physically unable to sit still

Lowering arousal raises the ceiling of what attention can hold. Practice first, then the task.

Doing this before a busy day

• Do it before the first message or notification
• Aim for steadiness rather than energy
• Decide the first task afterwards, not during

The point is to begin without already being behind, not to prepare for every possibility.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Notice the temperature of the air on the backs of your hands.
2. 0:13Visit each area with plain curiosity, not with a verdict. Sensation is information, not a problem.
3. 0:28You can think about other things. When you notice, come back. That's the whole practice.
4. 0:42Notice the weight of your arms without moving them.
5. 0:53Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
6. 1:04Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
7. 1:17Feel your tongue sitting in the bottom of your mouth.
8. 1:29Feel your palms. Warm or cool, either is fine.
9. 1:40Notice your elbows. Odd things to have, but there they are.
10. 1:52Let your body keep settling.
11. 2:01Let's pause. Just the breathing for a while.
12. 2:12If a region feels numb, that is a finding too. Note it and move on.
13. 2:26If you're sleepy, sit up a little. Or let the sleepiness be there.
14. 2:39If you catch yourself fighting the urge to check something else, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
15. 2:57Each time your mind hands you the difficulty of staying with one thing, treat it like a leaf on a stream. Present for a moment, then carried on.
16. 3:17Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
17. 3:30Notice where the attention that keeps sliding off lives in your body. Chest, throat, stomach. Rest your attention there without trying to change it.
18. 3:49Notice the exact moment your attention left. You probably won't catch it. That's normal.
19. 4:03A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
20. 4:14Move at the speed of your attention, not the speed of a checklist. There is no schedule to keep.
21. 4:30Let the pace of the last few minutes set the pace of the next few.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.